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a serving of leftover turkey noodle soup in a white bowl.
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4.62 from 31 votes

Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup

Comforting Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup made completely from scratch! Homemade turkey broth from the leftover turkey carcass, loaded with turkey meat and slurp-able noodles. This soup is perfect use of that leftover holiday turkey!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: leftover turkey, noodle soup, turkey soup
Servings: 8
Calories: 295kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Broth

  • 1 turkey carcass leftover from a carved turkey, all meat removed
  • 14 cups water
  • 1 large onion peeled
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 3 medium carrots peeled
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste

For the Soup

  • 2 to 3 cups turkey meat chopped, white or dark
  • 8 ounce egg noodles dry
  • 1 bouillon cube or 1-2 tbsp Vegeta
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon parsley chopped for garnish
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large soup pot, add turkey carcass, water, onion, celery sticks and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 1.5 hours, covered over medium-low heat.
    process shots showing how to make leftover turkey noodle soup.
  • Remove the carcass and everything else from the soup using tongs or a slotted spoon, set the carrots aside. All there should be left in the pot should be the broth. Add turkey meat and noodles to the pot. You might need to add a couple more cups of water as some of it may have evaporated. Chop the cooked carrots into half moons and add back to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and add the bouillon cube or vegeta.
    process shots showing how to make leftover turkey noodle soup.
  • Cook for another 8 minutes until noodles are cooked. Garnish with parsley and serve.
    process shots showing how to make leftover turkey noodle soup.

Notes

  1. This recipe will work for leftover chicken as well.
  2. You get an amazing turkey flavor to this soup from making your own broth from a turkey carcass, but if you want you can of course use store bought chicken broth or turkey broth.
  3. This soup is such a great base for some awesome flavors! You can add fresh dill at the end, or add diced parsnips to your broth for some complexity. Dried rosemary also makes a great savory addition.
  4. Let soup cool and transfer to an airtight container. Leftover turkey noodle soup will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  5. If you’d like to prepare this recipe ahead and freeze it, you’ll want to assemble everything like normal, but hold off on the noodles. Sadly thawed noodles don't retain their texture very well. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for  4 – 6 months.
  6. When you're ready to thaw out the soup, heat it up on the stove and incorporate the noodles then.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 466mg | Potassium: 432mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3942IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg